Last chapter errybody! Thanks to the Beta who read the first few chapters for me, thanks to J.K. Rowling and Hans Christian Anderson for being the literary geniuses who thought up these stories ('cause I most certainly didn't) and thanks to you. Yes, you. You're reading this, which means you've read the whole thing (probably) so thanks for taking the time to read my first ever fanfiction. Also, thanks for reviewing :P

Draco staggered away from the willow, drawing deep, ragged breaths. The image of Ginny and Harry moving under the blanket appeared every time he shut his eyes, so he tried to keep them open, his eyes watering as the cold wind stung them. He felt like he had been stabbed in the chest, like Ginny had torn it still-beating from his chest and stood on it. She wasn't his mate. She never would be. What they had done the night before clearly didn't mean anything to these cold-hearted landfolk. They didn't hold it sacred. It wasn't part of their mating rituals. No wonder she had given herself to him after barely three days of knowing each other. It didn't matter to her. He didn't matter to her. He was just someone she could fall back on when Harry was with someone else. Barely five minutes ago, he had loved her, had felt joy in knowing that she loved him too. Now he hated her, now that he knew she didn't feel the same way that he did about her. Why had he chosen to do this? He could have stayed at home, kept courting that mermaid back home, and eventually mated with her. He could barely remember her name now, let alone what she looked like. She had been forgotten when he saw a flame-haired angel lit up by fire. The image of her as he first saw her lit up feelings that he didn't want, and he clawed at his chest as if trying to rip his own heart out, choking on silent sobs.

He looked around him, not really seeing where he was. A part of him dimly noted that he was walked far away from the castle, around the edge of the lake, and he was standing in a circle of trees that grew in one vast cluster far away from the forest. The water of the Lake lapped against a large rock that jutted out over the water. He stumbled onto it and sat, dangling his legs over the water. He lifted his feet suddenly and tore off their uncomfortable leather casings, throwing them as far over the Lake as he could, followed closely by his bloody socks. Now that he was looking at his feet properly, he could see deep lacerations, as if walking actually dug blades into his feet. He scowled at them, and let them dangle again, feeling relief as they dipped into the cold water. He wished he had his tail again. He wished he had never made that deal with the Lake Witch. He wished he had never seen Ginny, or that explosion. He wished he hadn't mated with her. He threw his head back and released a noiseless howl, not stopping until he had run out of breath.

When he looked back down at the Lake, there were three heads bobbing on th surface of the water. Two belonged to Blaise and Vincent. The third belonged to the mermaid he had been courting. Astoria. He gawped at them as if he had never seen them before, and they swam closer, and he noticed that Astoria was crying, rubbing her eyes fiercely as she tried to swim at the same time. "What have you done to yourself, Draco?" She sobbed at him, touching one of his feet lightly before drawing her hand back sharply, as if Human legs were contagious. Vincent and Blaise could only look at him sadly. He choked back another sob of his own and slid into the water beside them, realising that he couldn't swim any more when he flailed in an attempt to keep his head above the water and found that he couldn't. Nor was he able to breathe. Water filled his mouth and nose, choking him as he tried to breathe, and strong hands grabbed him around his waist and under his arms, pulling him up so that he could cough and splutter and choke back several lungfuls of air above the surface.

He had to try not to flinch as Astoria moved closer to him, cupping his face in her hands. Vincent and Blaise were holding him above the surface, his own legs beating uselessly against the endlessly moving water. "We searched everywhere for you. Your parents think you're dead." He opened his mouth to respond, and kicked his legs in frustration. He knew now why he still couldn't speak, and that angered him more. How could he have been so blind? He should have known that mating with Ginny wouldn't mean anything, after seeing the couple on the boat and the numerous couples in the courtyard at the Ball. Even looking at Ron and Lavendars public displays of affection should have told him that they didn't care who saw them. If they didn't care, it was a clear indication that the rest of the Landfolk didn't care either. He felt like an idiot. He had given up his voice and his tail for the hope that he could make her love him in a week. A week? How could he have been so stupid? He had left everything behind for what? Four days of drooling over a Landfolk girl who didn't want him, and never would. His parents thought he was dead. Vincent, Blaise and Astoria would probably believe it too, only they were right in front of him. He tried to twist away from his friends, to make them let him go so he could drown. Drowning would be better than trying to go back. His family wouldn't accept him if he went back without his tail. Was that why they were there? To bring him back? He wasn't one of them any more.

"We found the Lake Witch. She told us what happened," He stared at them in shock. Had they gone looking for her, hoping that she would help them find him? She must have laughed when she told them what he had done. "She told us that there's a way for you to come back. You can come back to us. I don't care about the Human girl. You can come back to me, and we'll act like all this never happened." Astoria pulled a knife from her belt as she spoke, a long cruel looking thing, more a sword than a knife, all shiny metal and sharp edges. The hilt was inlaid with Mother of Pearl, the pommel a smooth rounded obsidian. The crossguard was plain in comparison to the hilt and pommel, made of the same shining metal as the blade, without ornament or decoration. She pressed it into his hand, and kissed him softly on the lips. She tasted of Lake Water. His hand closed around the hilt, fitting there as snugly as his spear. "What do I have to do?" He mouthed at her, and she frowned in confusion for a moment, before responding. "Lead the Human girl who stole your heart to the Lake, take her as far into the water as she'll permit. Stab her with this blade, and let the blood flow into the water. Once her life blood has been drained, you'll get your tail back. You'll be one of us again. You can do it, Draco. I know you can. It'll be no different to spearing a fish. She deserves much worse for what she's done to you." He stared long and hard at her, considering her words. Was he capable of killing her just to get his old life back? Surely Astoria knew that if he did this, and came back, he would never be the same. He had loved, lost and become a murderer in a matter of days. Just because he came back wouldn't mean that he would want to go back to courting her. He might not want to mate with anyone after that.

Something occurred to him as he thought about what she was asking him to do. "What price did you pay her for this?" He asked, mouthing the words as clearly as he could. It still took a few tries before she understood what he was asking her, and she smiled wryly, before tugging at her head. Her long, wild black hair had been cut short, cut jaggedly just under her chin. A glance at Vincent and Blaise showed that they had also given their hair. Blaise had a cut under his ear where the blade had bit into his skin as she cut his thick hair. "She cut our hair with that knife, and said some words over it. A small price to pay for getting you back." Astoria smiled at him sadly, kissing him again before ducking under the surface suddnly and swimming away. Vincent and Blaise helped him back to the shore, vanishing under the murky water without a word.

He stared blankly at the water where they had disappeared, and then at the knife. The edge looked sharper than anything he had ever seen before. Could he lure Ginny into the Lake, and murder her? Was he capable of that? Astoria had to know that killing her wouldn't be like gutting a fish. Would it? He turned to walk back to the castle, trying to form a plan as he walked slowly back to the giant stone building.


Draco scowled as he glanced at the tree he and Ginny had sat under to eat lunch. Where they had kissed. Where he had asked her to go to the Ball with him. Where she was now wrapped around another man, giving herself to him as she had given herself to Draco. His stomach roiled as he thought about what he had to do, and stepped towards the tree. He decided that it would be a lot easier than he thought, all he had to do was drag her to the water and shove the knife between her ribs. It didn't matter if Harry was still here. Ginny was tiny, throwing her over his shoulder and running to the Lake would be easy, a quick dash and it was done. He could go home, apologise to his parents, hunt with Blaise and Vincent again, resume courting Astoria. She would be faithful to him.

His face set in grim determination, he pulled the fronds of the tree apart, and looked at the couple lying at the base of the tree. They had fallen asleep, still wrapped around each other, her red hair fanning out on the ground over the blanket, Harrys glasses askew on his face. He spotted a scrap of cloth peeking out from under the blanket and scowled at it as he realised that it was wrapped around Ginnys leg. She was no different to the other landfolk. She didn't love him, she never would. She was no better than a whore, giving herself to more than one man, especially with so little time between them.

His resolve started to weaken as he stood over them, looking down on them. Ginny was snuggled close to Harry, both arms wrapped around him, her head on his chest. Her side rose and fell slowly, her breathing deep and even with sleep. Harry had both his arms around her, one supporting her, the other around her waist over the blanket. His chin rested against her forehead, his glasses almost hanging off. He also breathed slowly and deeply. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep, mumbling his name under her breath, and he automatically drew her closer, neither of them waking up. His resolve withered completely, and his face crumpled, fresh tears streaming down his face. He wouldn't kill her. He couldn't. He loved her too much to take her life. Even seeing her lying in the arms of another man, mumbling his name as he held her, he knew he'd never hate her enough to kill her. Even to get his tail back. He didn't even know what would happen at the end of the week if he failed. When he failed. Nor did he care.

Draco staggered away from the tree for the second time that day, heading back to the waters edge alone. The cold breeze ruffled his hair and dried his tears as he waded into the water, further and further until the water reached his chest. He held the knife above the water and tilted his head back, enjoying the breeze. It whispered through the trees, and he could almost imagine them speaking to him. "Join us. . . join usssss. . ." They seemed to whisper, and he nodded, looking at the blade. He was able to stop the pain. He didn't have to think about her any longer. The answer lay in his hand. He grimaced as he put both hands under the water, gripping the handle of the blade with both hands as he slid it into his own chest. He shuddered, letting his legs give way beneath him and letting water fill his lungs as his head dropped below the surface of the water. He was free now. The pain and troubles of life seemed less and less as the world grew darker. Maybe he would join the spirits of the wind, rustling through the trees and forgetting the troubled life he had left behind. His lips curled into a smile as the current carried his limp body out to the depths of the Lake, away from the castle.

His last thoughts were of peace, and relief. He was free.